Short Term Parking

Two-minute walk from T1/T2 doors to your car

Short Term Parking at Addis Ababa Bole (ADD) is the official open-air lot directly in front of the terminals, about a 2-minute walk from T1 and T2 arrivals or departures. It runs as a basic surface forecourt, not a multi-level garage, and mainly serves quick pick-ups, drop-offs, and local drivers waiting for arriving passengers.

There’s no shuttle here: you exit customs, pass through the meters/greeters area, walk down the ramp, and you’re in the lot within a couple of minutes. A FlyerTalk report describes exactly this walk from customs down into the parking area, which matches the on-the-ground feel of a simple walk-up lot. It’s post-customs but still outside the secure area, so it works only if you’re driving, not if you’re connecting airside.

Pricing isn’t well published online, but Short Term Parking operates as an official airport facility under the same authority that runs T1 and T2, with payment taken on exit at staffed booths or barriers. Because it’s right in front of the terminal forecourt, it functions more like a metered waiting area than a long-stay option; locals use it for runs that are 15–60 minutes rather than overnight parking.

Regulars in Addis often skip any formal “meet inside” plan and instead have friends, family, or hotel drivers wait directly in this forecourt lot, coordinating arrivals over WhatsApp once the passenger clears customs. That habit works because the walk from the baggage belt to the ramp and into the lot is usually under 10 minutes, even with the meters/greeters crowd outside.

Practical tip: tell your driver “wait in the front parking after the ramp” and agree on a specific light pole or row number so you can find each other quickly in the open lot once you exit T1 or T2.